Happy New Year, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889 - 1890

This chromolithograph was produced around 1890 by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company as part of a New Years series. It is a small, mass-produced card meant to be included with tobacco products. The image depicts a still life that blends domesticity with festive celebration. The wine, punch bowl, and musical instrument suggest convivial gatherings, yet they also evoke class distinctions and leisure. Consider the era in which this card was made: the height of the Gilded Age in the United States. Tobacco was a widely used product, and its marketing often intersected with notions of status and pleasure. The "Happy New Year" greeting, rendered in an ornate, gothic-inspired typeface, may remind us of both the old and new. The card suggests a sentimental view of time, community, and shared cultural practices. Think about the experiences and emotions these images were designed to evoke for its original audience, and what they may evoke in us today.